Mixture for impact illuminating-bullets.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WHILIAM H. BUELL, OF NEW HAVEN. CONNECTICUT. ASSIGNOR TO WINCHESTERREPEATING ARMS COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN. ONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OFCONNECTICUT.

MIXTURE FOR IMPACT ILLUMINATING-BULLETS.

R Drawing.

and useful Improvement in Mixtures for Impact Illuminating-Bullets, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an exploding and illuminating charge suitablefor use lll unpact illuminating bullets of various kinds.

'- for instance thebullet shown in my Patent No. 1.088.007. datedFebruary 24. 19H.

The object of my invention is to produce a mixture or charge which. whenthe bullet strikes the target, will produce an explosion accompanied bya brilliant flash of light of snllicient duration to be distinguishableto the eye, and preferably, also, to produce a loud sharp report. Amixture suitable for such purposes must not explode with sutiicientviolence to shatter the bullet so as to throw particles back to theshooter.

My mixture consists primarily of powdered aluminum and a suitableoxidizing compound such as potassiumchlorate. This mixture will onimpact ignite and glow with a. white light. I prefer, however. to add tothis mixture at suitable substance. such as trinitro-toluene. tetryl(tetra-nitro-methylanilin), nitro-benzeuc or nitro-toluene. which incombination with th'e'oxidizing compound. forms an. intenser explosivethan the aluminum and which may he termed for convenience of reference anon-gaseous or suitable fuel. The addition of this suh stance augmentsthe ignition of the mixture and intensifies the heat, thus intensifyingthe glow of the aluminum as it is being oxidized; and it also produces asharp loud report. In order to modify. the light effect of the explodingmixture, as to have a light different from the surrounding light, ordifferent from the light of other bullets shot at the same time fromother guns. I may add a suitable coloring ingredient. This coloringingredient is preferably either an oxidizing compound (such as strontiumnitrata) which may react either with the alu- Spccitlcation of LettersPatent.

Patented Oct. 9, 1917.

Application filed June 18, 1914. Serial No. 845,874.

minnm, or with the'non-gaseous fuel, such, for instance, as thetrinit-ro-toluene, or wlth both; or n non-gaseous fuel, such asstrontium picrate. This coloring ingredient, if a non-gaseous fuel, mayin some instances replace in whole or in part the other fuel in themixture, or, if an oxidizer it may similarly replace the other oxidizer.I may, of course, add powdered glass or a similar exciter; or shellac,or a similar retarder or toner. When I speak in my claims of acombination of a fuel and a coloring compolllul I intend to include bythese terms a coloring compound which acts also as a fuel; and when Ispeak in my claims of a combination of an oxidizer and of a coloringcompound I intend to include bythese terms a. coloring compound whichacts also as an oxidizer.

Thus I may prepare an illuminating and explosive mixture as follows, theproportrons being given by weight:

Example I: Aluminum 40% Potassium cblorate .n 30% Trlultrotoluene 20%Strontium nitrate 6% Glam: 4%

I with wat and then introduced into the bullet an compressed thereinunder heavy pressure,and the compacted charge may or may not be rotectedor held in place b a covering suc as gum, collodion, tin oil, etc,, orby partly closing the opening in the bullet in varyin degrees asdescribed in my above mentione patent.

This mixture will on impact explode with a sharp report and produce awhite or silvery light with a slight shade of red hardly noticeable assuch, but sufficient to distinguish the flash from the usual white lightof the moving picture shooting gallery. The diameter of the flash isabout two and onehalf inches. The strontium nitrate may be omitted, inwhich case the flash will be nearer a true white.

I may employ the following mixture, the proportions being given byweight, and all the in redients being used in finely powdered orm:

Example II.

Potassium chlorate Tetryl (tetra-nltromethyl-anllln) ginintlum plcratelac ' -ra'tely the point of impact The shellac exerts a toning orslowing action which prolongs the dura'tionof the flash, and thus en- 7s ables the eye to, perceive the light effect which it would miss if theexplosion acted too quickly.

I may vary the proportions of my formulze and I maysubstitute chemicalequiva- 'lents for one or more substances mentioned therein. As. alreadystated, the coloring ingredient may, if it be a: sulliciently intensefuel, replace the fuel of the formula; or it may, it it be a suitableoxidizer, replace the oxidizer in the formula. Thus, when red phosphorusis used as the main coloring agent. it may be necessary or advisable touse strontium nitrate as an oxidizer, as a mixture of red phosphorus andpotassium chlorate is too unstable forcommercial purposes; In thefollowing formula the strontium nitrate probably acts both as an oxi-,dizer and as a supplemental coloring agent, "While the-strontiumpicrate probably acts both as a supplemental coloring agent and as afuel:

" Eaample III.

alumlnum- 10% Strontium nltrate 50% Strontlum plcrate 28% Red phosphorus12% This mixture ves a beautiful red center flash surrounde by a showerof yellow sparks.

Example IV.

Aluminum 5. 8% Potassium chlorate 33. 7% 9. 0% 24.

Examples-V.

Aluminum 4% 3.9% 5% l'otusslum chlorate 56% 30. 1% 45% Sulfur 16% o 13.3% Ur Strontlum plcrate 24% 31.2% 10% Potasslum plcrate 12 5% 40%Examples VI.

5. 1% 4% 3. 7% Potassium chlorate 50.5% 48% 54. 6% sum, 15. 5% 18% 14.5%fit-rontlum plcrate 23. 9% 24% 22. 2'7 ShellaC 5. 5. 0 Fcrro slllcon 6%Example: VII.

Aluminum 5% 4% 3.7% l'otasalum chlorate- 45% 54. 6% Tetryl 0f 30% 0f 14.5% trontlum plcrate..- 21% 22 2% hello 35 Examples VIII.

Aluminum 5% 3.5% 2% 2% Potassium chlorate 51% 55. A, 54% 53% Tetryl 17%0 15. 5% 0f 15% 18% Strontium plcru "7 24. 23% 24% Gum arnblc 2. 6% 3%9O \Vhile the flashes given by the above ornmlamay not all be of perfectsize and shape wheathe mixtures are prepared in the laboratory, they aresufficient to give operative results, and could no doubt be improved bypreparing the mixtures in larger mtcln-s. by machinery, and by grindingthe ingredients finer. than I have as yet had an opportunity to do. Theexamples, however, serve to illustrate the possibility of embodying myinvention in a number of mixtures of ditfering :omposition.

It is obvious that the mixtures embodying my invention may be explodedeither in the manner described, that is, by having a bullet inclosingsuch mixture strike a target or other obje t, or by having a bulletstrike a target to which such mixture is attached, as

shown in my Patent No. 1,091,116, dated March 24, 1914, or, in someinstances, by having one or more of the ingredients attached to thebullet and the remainder attached to the target, as shown in my PatentNo. 1,093,171, dated April 14, 1914; or by having the mixture struck bya hammer, for instance a hammer actuated by a tar ct bulls eye when thebulls eye is hit; or y receiving a blow in any other suitable manner.When I use in my claims the word bullet I include in this term any means12 by which a blow may be struck on the mixture, whether or not suchmeans constitute a bulletin the common acceptation of that term.

East illuminating bullet comprising a bullet y in combination with amixture of aluminum and an oxidizing compound, substantiallyasand forthe. purpose described.

2. As an article of manufacture an impact illuminating bullet comprisinga bullet body in combination with a mixture of aluminum and potassiumchlorate, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. As an article of manufacture an impact illuminating bullet comprisinga bullet body in combination with a mixture of aluminum and an oxidizingcompound, and a suitable fuel other than aluminum, substantially as andfor the pur ose described.

4. As an article of manu acture an impact illuminating bullet comprisinga bullet ody in combination with a mixture of aluminum, an oxidizingcompound and a a suitable fuel consisting of a nitrated organic f body,substantially as and for the purpose Y described.

g '5. As an article of manufacture an im- Egret illuminating bulletcomprising a bullet dy' in combination with a mixture of aluminum, anoxidizing compound and trinitrotoluene, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

6. As-an article of manufacture an impact illuminating bullet comprisinga bullet ody in combination with 'a mixture of aluminum, potassiumchlorate and trinitrotoluene, substantially as and for the purposedescrib 'LAs an article of manufacture an imact illuminating bulletcomprising a bullet y in combination with a mixture of aluminum, anoxidizing compound, a suitable fuel other than aluminum, and a suitablecoloring com ound, substantially as and for the'purpose escribed.

g i Y a Y in combination 8 mi t of 21;;As an article of manufacture animaluminum,.an oxidizing compound, a. suitable fuel other than aluminum,and strontium nitrate, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. As an article of manufacture an im-' pact illuminating bulletcomprising a bullet body in combination with a mixture of aluminum, anoxidizing compound, trinitrotoluene and strontium nitrate, substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

10. As an article of manufacture an impact illuminating bulletcomprising a bullet body in combination with a mixture of aluminum,potassium chlorate, trinitrotoluene and strontium nitrate, substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

11. A bullet for indicating hits on a clue matograph target screen,charged with a composition containing powdered aluminium and a smallproportion of an oxidizing agent. I

12. A bullet for indicating bits can. cinematograph target screen,charged. with a composition containing powdered aluminium and a smallproportion of potassium chlo- 13. A hollow nosed bullet for indicatinghits on a cinematograph target screen, charged in said hollow nose witha composition containing powdered aluminium and a small proportion of anoxidizing agent.

14. A hollow nosed bullet for indicating hits on a cinematograph tar etscreen, charged in said hollow nose with a composition containingpowdered aluminium and a small proportion of potassium chlorate.

In testimony whereof I- have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

. WILLIAM H. BUELL.

Witnesses:

Fan-z v. Bnmsmz,

r J can A. Fnaonsnx,

